The Inferno
by R.K. Cloud
Summary: Based on Dante's "Inferno". Danny Ocean leads one person through hell. IMPORTANT: Please read summary inside. It explains everything.
1. Canto 1

**Important:** Ok, so this was a paper assigned in my history class. We were told to read Dante's "Inferno." For those who have never had the pleasure of reading it, it is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1208 and 1321. Basicly, in the book, the famous poet Virgil leads Dante into Hell, showing him each circle which is reserved for a different type of sin. Anyway, we were then told to write a story, putting people, whether they are celebreties, political figures, or fictional characters, into the fitting circle of Hell. So, I decided to to use the characters from Ocean's 11, 12, and 13. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it too.

**Warning:** I had to take a few creative liberties with some of the situations and characters to make everything work, so if the characters are not 100 on, then my apologies.

**Last thing:** This story, while meant to be entertaining, is a bit weird. So please, please, please, tell me what you think.

* * *

Canto I

The desert sun beat down upon my face as I walked along a particularly long strip of land. I reached up to wipe the sweat from my forehead and felt the sticky July air.

'Why would anybody want to visit the desert in this time of the year?' I thought to myself, as I pushed my way through a large crowd women, men, children, screaming babies, drunken college students, and half-dressed women of ill repute. I found an opening in this massive wave of city-goers and found myself staring at a marvelous white hotel.

I was in Las Vegas, Nevada, the only place that could entertain both gamblers with drinking problems and wholesome, kind-hearted families. I stood there in awe, leaning against a stone fence that separated me from a massive man-made lake, as an amazing array of water began to shoot up from the dark depths. As I watched the show that the hotel owners cleverly put on to draw attention to themselves, I became entranced by the flow of the water. I watched it shoot this way and that way, up and down, left and right; I found myself completely unaware of the people around me who had also stopped to see the show. It wasn't until I was completely under the water's majestic spell that I heard a voice, seemingly breaking me from my reverie. "Beautiful isn't it?" The form next to me asked. I jumped, startled, as I looked at the man standing next to me. I became even more alarmed as I looked around and found that the vacationers and drunken idiots were nowhere to be seen.

"What's going on?" I asked, wondering for a moment if perhaps I was dreaming. "Who are you?"

The man next to me extended his arm, offering his hand. "Danny," he told me. "Danny Ocean."

I shook his hand, though I wasn't sure why. Surely this was a dream. That, or I was going crazy and this was simply my imagination. How else would I happen to come across such a good looking man? "I'm-"

"I know who you are," he interrupted my introduction.

"You do?" I asked in a high-pitched voice; the kind of voice pre-teen girls use when taking to a boy they've had there eyes on. I could feel my face turning red. "How?"

"That's not important right now," he told me. He turned back to the spouting water and leaned against the fence in a casual sort of way; almost as though he had stood there many times before.

When he didn't speak or even move for a few moments, I spoke up, "Um, Mr.…."

"Call me Danny," he replied, not taking his eyes off of the lake.

"Ok, Danny, who exactly are you?"

He turned to me giving me his full attention. "I'm going to be your guide through Hell."

With that, the water from the lake shot up, nearly touching the sky, I thought. Danny climbed over the fence and walked toward the water. As he began to disappear in the misty haze, I climbed over the fence and followed him, though not really sure as to why.

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**Important A/N:** Reviews are essential!!! Should I continue to post? Or is it just too weird? Let me know! 


	2. Canto 2

**A/N: **Again, I had to take some creative liberties with this. I have no idea what Yen's religious background is.

* * *

Canto II

When I opened my eyes and the haze was cleared away, I instantly knew where I was: Hell. If the instant rise in temperature and the horrid smell wasn't enough of a hint, the beings that I saw limping and crawling around gave it away. I closed my eyes, hoping that the terrible scene would disappear and I would wake up, but it was no use. I turned around, and was once again met by my guide.

"Who are these people," I asked.

"This is the Vestibule ring of Hell," he explained. "It contains the people who are indifferent to both good and evil."

I looked around, amazed and terrified at what I was seeing. The people looked terrible. They had huge welts on their skin that were no doubt caused by the large amount of hornets and other insects flying around. I felt bad for them.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.

"A person can never truly be on the right path of life until they've witnessed others' mistakes and the suffering that those mistakes have caused for them," he explained matter-of-factly, as he continued to walk.

Not really understanding, I followed Danny. As we walked, I noticed that the scene had changed. It was darker and a bit more discomforting than before. We were also met by a strong wind.

"Welcome to the second circle of Hell," my guide told me, smiling when he saw the fear on my face. "This place is reserved for the un-baptized."

After a moment, a young Asian man, who literally looked like hell, came up to me. The man, though small and skinny, had a deep voice, speaking words that I couldn't understand.

Though I could not comprehend his native language, my guide seemed amused by whatever it was he had said. I looked at Danny questioningly. "He says hello," he told me, though by the half-grin on his face, I could tell that there was more to it than Danny's simple translation. "This is Yen."

"Hello, Yen," I said, trying to be polite to the tortured man. Still, I found myself staring at his pathetic condition.

"When he was alive, people called him 'the amazing Yen,'" Danny began. "He was a Cantonese acrobat, you know."

"That's interesting," I replied, not sure why he was telling me this information.

Again, the man spoke incomprehensible words and my guide bowed to him, in a manner that I assumed meant 'goodbye.' Danny and I walked away.

"Why did we meet him?" I asked as we walked on.

"I wanted to show you one of the people who best represent this circle of Hell," he told me. "Yen, as you can tell by his former title, was an amazing man. Had he been baptized, he wouldn't be here, suffering for all of eternity."

With that, a large gust of wind swirled around us, putting me into a haze much like the one I had experienced earlier.


	3. Canto 3

A/N: I like the way hansolofan put it: this story is a bit unorthadox, but still worth a read, or at least a brief glance. Enjoy this next part. 

Canto III

When the air around us cleared up, I was met by a tall, fearsome looking man.

"This is Minos," Danny told me. "The infernal judge."

"Hello," I said, again trying to be polite, though not sure if people in Hell cared too much about manners.

"Do you dare to enter into the circles of Hell?"

I was about to answer, 'No,' but I guess Danny sensed my fear and answered "yes, she does," for me.

"Then be warned- be careful of how you enter these lands. Take caution as you journey through the circles of the damned."

I was about to thank the man, but instead was dragged on hurriedly down a short path.

"Welcome to the second circle of Hell," my guide told me. Before he could explain to me the sins of the people here, a tall woman with once beautiful blond hair and a face that was too old for her, staggered toward us.

"Hi," she said, winking at Danny. The woman was pathetic. She had a drunken quality to her, though I was sure that it was from her time spent in Hell.

"Any guess at what kind of sinners are kept here?" Danny asked me.

"Lustful," I said, sure that I was right.

"Bingo," he said, as the woman put a hand on his face. Danny simply smiled. "This is Abigail Sponder."

This time I didn't even try to say hello. The woman ignored me, completely focused on my guide.

"Abigail used to be assistant to one the most successful hotel owners in the world. We met in Vegas once and," he paused. "Well, it's a long story."

"So what happened to her," I asked.

Danny smiled as the woman tried to embrace him. "Well, there was this friend of mine, Linus-"

"He poisoned me!" Abigail shouted, making eye contact with me for the first time.

"That's what they all say, sweetheart."

With this, she pushed my guide away and stomped off, pouting.

Suddenly, I felt a strong, cold wind that threatened to blow us off our path.

"Come on!" Danny shouted over the roar of the wind. I grabbed his hand, as he led me into the next part of our journey.

* * *

Updates coming more regularly.


	4. Canto 4

Canto IV

For a moment, everything went black. As my vision began to come back I looked around for my guide, but saw him nowhere.

My fear of being abandoned by Danny was momentarily halted as I looked around me. I found myself in a wasteland. I was standing in a muddy bog, surrounded by snow. I watched in awe of the sights around me as the sky released more white powder, small spheres of ice, and a strange colored rain like I had never seen before.

I wasn't sure how long I'd stood there, unaware, really, of how very cold I was, before I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around, startled, and was met again, much to my relief, by my guide. Behind me was a second man, one I found to be quite attractive, even in his state of being in Hell.

"Where were you?" I asked Danny, though my eyes were fixed on this new stranger.

"I went to go find an old friend," he told me. "This is Rusty Ryan."

I smiled and blushed, more embarrassed than I was before when meeting my guide. "It's really nice to meet you," I said as he shook my hand and I smiled even wider.

Danny rolled his eyes at my too-friendly tone and gestures, but Rusty, whether unaware of my instant school-girl crush or just being kind enough to spare me the embarrassment, did not show any signs of noticing.

"She a new one?" Rusty asked, referring to me.

"Yep," Danny answered.

"You showing her through-"

"Uh-huh."

"Have you shown her-"

"Of course."

"How about-"

"That's next."

I stood there, confused at this conversation. The other two must have sensed my confusion; that or they noticed the blank expression on my face.

"Sorry," Danny told me. "We've been friends for a long time. We tend to-"

"Know what the other is going to say next," Rusty finished.

"Don't worry, people found it annoying when we were alive, too."

Now I understood. "So, you two knew each other before coming to Hell?"

"Yes," Danny began. "In Hell, you tend to see a lot of people you knew in your previous life. I guess I should explain. Me and Rusty were part of a team."

"What kind of sport?" I asked.

"Actually, we were thieves."

I was shocked to learn this information. "Thieves?"

"Yep," my guide answered.

"We pulled some great scams like-"Rusty began.

"The Belagio job," Danny finished.

"Best casino heist ever."

"You bet."

I glared for a moment, not sure whether or not the two were talking about things that made no sense to me again. I started to think that it would be easier to go back and talk to Yen then it was talking to these two.

"Sorry," my guide told me. "Anyway, you'll be meeting the other members of my team today.

I thought for a moment, then realized something. "Isn't there one circle specified for thieves?" I asked.

Danny took a moment, thinking. "Well, yes, but…"

"What fun would it be to put us all in the same circle?" Rusty asked.

I thought about this for a moment. "I guess that's true. So, what circle of Hell is this?" I asked, realizing that I'd been there for awhile now, and really didn't know where I was.

"The third circle," Rusty answered.

"The circle for the Gluttonous," Danny said.

I almost let a laugh escape, but held it back with a well timed cough. "Gluttony?" I asked.

Rusty explained, "I liked to eat."

"That's an understatement. We'd be robbing a bank and he'd have a stack of money in one hand and cheeseburger in the other," Danny told me, smiling.

"As I said-I liked to eat."

As Rusty said this, the rain picked up, the snow became chillier, and the hail became larger and harder. The wind too became heavy and scattered the falling snow, blurring my vision of the two men.

"We should go!" Danny shouted over the howling wind. "See you around Rusty!"

"Bye," I yelled, as I desperately tried to get one last glimpse of Rusty from behind the swirling wind. Again, my vision blurred, turned gray, and then completely black.


	5. Canto 5

Canto V

As my vision cleared, I found myself in yet another terrifying setting. The people around me did not seem real to me. They were tortured, as all the others had been.

Luckily, I found Danny quickly. "Come one," he said, as he hurried down a pathway. The longer we walked, I noticed, the faster my guide walked.

We were very nearly jogging, when I finally spoke up. "What's the hurry," I asked. "And where are we?"

"We're in the fourth circle," he told me.

"Well, I figured as much," I said incredulously. "I mean, what circle is this?"

"The circle that the hoarders go; the greedy," he corrected himself. "And we're hurrying because I really want to get through this circle."

"What's so bad about this circle," I asked. I thought for a moment. "Or is it _who_ you're going to show me that's the problem." As I said this, we came upon yet another tortured looking man. He was old and looked as though he had never seen a dime in his life. I felt sorry for him, though I know that he must have deserved to be here.

"Terry," Danny said in greeting.

The man glared at my guide for a moment, before answering, "Danny."

"This is Terry Benedict," I was introduced. "Previous owner of The Bilagio, the MGM Grand, and the Mirage hotels in Vegas."

"That's very impressive," I said, remembering the white hotel that I had been standing in front of, not too long ago. I thought for a moment, noticing that this man looked nothing like a rich hotel owner. "I guess Hell caught up with him?"

"Yep," was the only answer I received.

"Of course," Terry said, "Mr. Ocean and his crew caught up with me first."

Danny laughed and even I couldn't hold back a small laugh as understanding dawned on me. "The Belagio Job?" I asked, remembering the conversation in the previous circle.

"Exactly," Danny told me. "But you deserved it, didn't you Terry?"

"Because I stole your wife?"

"Because you were greedy. You took what you wanted and didn't care who lost in the process," my guide explained. "Kind of like of thief."

Terry Benedict glared at us once again with all of the malice expected from a man in Hell.

"See you later, Terry," Danny said as we turned to walk away.

"Say hello to Tess for me," Terry said.

Danny stopped for a moment, smiled, and began walking again.

As we walked further and further into the depths of the circle, it became darker and darker. Eventually it became so dark that I could no longer see. It began to feel as though the world beneath me was spinning, and soon I felt nothing at all.


	6. Canto 6

**A/N: This chapter contains just one fact from the book: the mention of the Stygian Lake, (which, in case you care, is where the band the Styx took there name). Anyway, you don't really have to know about it to enjoy the chapter. It's just a little added detail.**

Canto VI

As I came out of my stupor, I noticed that I was at the edge of a massive lake. I was reminded for a moment of the pool of water in front of the hotel, where I had been standing just hours before.

"The Stygian Lake," Danny said, startling me, as he came up behind me, as if from nowhere.

"It's amazing," I told him, as I stared in awe at the lake.

"I bet you want to know where we are."

I nodded.

"The fifth Circle; for those who had wrath."

"You're not hurrying through this circle," I told him, noticing that he didn't seem on edge as he had before.

"I like the people here," he told me, as we walked a little further, toward the lake.

As we walked, we came upon two women. They looked as though they had once been beautiful, but Hell obviously hadn't been good for their looks.

Danny walked up to one of them, and, much to my surprise embraced one of them in a hug. I found myself a bit jealous, though forced myself to forget the foolish feeling.

Before I could say anything, Danny said, "This is my wife, Tess."

"Hello," I said, remembering the name Terry had used.

"And this is Isabelle. Him and Rusty were…"

"Romantically involved," Isabelle spoke up.

"Right," Danny said. "Romantically involved."

Rather than get into the details of these strangers' past lives, I changed the subject.

"Why are they here?" I asked, noticing that these women seemed nice enough.

Danny smiled. "Have you ever heard the phrase, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Well, it's true. Me and Rusty may have made a few mistakes that may have caused them to get a little-"

"_Very_ angry," Isabelle interrupted.

"Yeah, well, we made up for our mistakes," Danny said. "Eventually." He took a moment and then turned to me... "We should go."

Though I was curious to know why these women had been so angry with the two men, I decided that some things were best left unknown.

"Bye Tess," Danny said. "See you around Isabelle."

And with that the world became blurry again, and though I was used to it by now, the sudden darkness took me by surprise.


	7. Canto 7

**A/N:The more and more that I read this, the weirder and weirder it seems to be. Please remember that this was an assignment for a college class and wasn't exactly intended to be posted here...that's the only excuse I can make for it. :)**

Canto VII

At first, I could see nothing, just feel the intense heat. There were no lights, no sounds, just the feeling of burning. I could feel myself sweating from a combination of heat and nervousness.see the outline of people embraced within the flames.

I continued to walk further, toward what I could only describe as a torturous furnace enclosing around me.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me, beckoning me to follow. As I walked on, I could see light, though not from a sun or a moon. I saw the light of huge flames. As I walked on, my vision became clear enough that I could see my guide. I could also d within a dark, deathly cave, I looked at Danny questioningly. "Where are we?" I asked.

"The Sixth Circle," he said. "The circle reserved for those who have committed Heresy."

Danny waved over to two young men who had been standing at the edge of the fire. There skin was blackened by ashes and burned by the flames. They complied with my guide's request to come over and came over toward us.

"This is Turk and Virgil Malloy" Danny introduced, motioning to the correct person.

"Brothers?" I asked.

"Twins," Turk corrected. "I'm older."

"By two minutes," Virgil argued.

"Two minutes is a big deal."

"It is not."

"Is too."

"Shut up-"

The two continued their pointless fighting, the argument becoming increasingly intense.  
"Are they always like this?" I asked.

"Yes," was the answer I received.

"So what did they do? You said that they were guilty of Heresy," I said, over the sounds of bickering behind me.

"It's an interesting story, actually," Danny began. "We were doing a job in Vegas."

"You mean you were robbing a place," I asked.

"Yeah. Anyway, we sent Virgil down to Mexico to tamper with the dice made there," he explained. "He saw how bad the working conditions there were and caused a revolt."

"A revolt?" I asked.

"We sent Turk down there to work things out, but he just made things worse."

"What happened?"

"We broke management!" Turk explained loudly.

"Yeah, those factory workers got their justice," Virgil said.

Danny interrupted them. "They got the factory owners to pay the workers an extra three dollars a week."

"That doesn't seem so bad," I said.

"No, but they still committed Heresy. They had an unorthodox idea of how things should be run; they got their punishment for it."

I looked at Turk and Virgil, who were still bickering, and felt sorry for them.

"We've gotta goes guys!" Danny yelled over the loud, harsh words of the two fighting brothers.

The two were quiet at once, giving their full attention to Danny. I realized for the first time how much respect everyone seemed to have for my guide.

"See you later, Danny," they said together.

Danny began to walk toward a turn in the cave, motioning for me to follow. As I did, the light from the flames began to disappear and everything around me turned dark once again, before everything went completely black.


End file.
